Daily Cricket News

Bagai, Hansra shine as Canada beat Kenya

New Delhi: Captain Ashish Bagai and Jimmy Hansra both made half-centuries to set up Canada's second-ever World Cup win as they beat Kenya by five wickets on Monday.

Bagai was 64 not out and Hansra made 70, lifting Canada from 48-3 and helping it past Kenya's 198 all out in a battle of minnows at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

Kenya, the 2003 semifinalist, slumped to a fourth successive loss at this tournament.

Tamnay Mishra had earlier made 51 and anchored consecutive half-century partnerships with captain Jimmy Kamande and Thomas Odoyo, who also made 51, as Kenya avoided an embarrassing collapse. However, its highest total at the tournament so far was still not enough.

Canada fast bowler Henry Osinde had produced an opening burst of 3-7 to help send Kenya reeling at 57-5 before the fightback. Osinde finished with a career-best 4-26.

Kenya also made early inroads into Canada's top order, removing Rizwan Cheema in the fourth over. Zubin Surkari and Ravindu Gunasekera then fell in a space of eight balls as the chase stuttered.

But Bagai and Hansra played with composure to put Canada back in control and once set, launched a flurry of boundaries.

Hansra had struck seven fours and two sixes when he was finally out with Canada 19 runs short of victory.

But Bagai saw his team home, sending a cut over the infield and to the boundary for the match-winning four. It sealed Canada's first win at the World Cup in eight years, following its only previous success at the tournament against Bangladesh in 2003.

Kenya had averted another batting disaster to grind out its highest score at the tournament so far — even though its batsmen still weren't convincing against a fellow struggler in Canada.

Morris Ouma, Seren Waters and David Obuya fell cheaply as Osinde opened with pace and aggression for the Canadians. Kenya slumped to 21-3 and then 57-5 having chosen to bat first in Delhi.

But Mishra hit three fours in a battling maiden World Cup half-century — where 33 of his 51 runs were singles — and Odoyo blasted five fours and a six to drag the Kenyans to a respectable total.

Kamande also hit three fours in his 22, including a scorching pull shot off Osinde, and the Kenyans fought back desperately having been bowled out for 69, 112 and 142 in three forgettable performances so far at the World Cup.

Kamande fell to legspinner Balaji Rao when he nicked behind trying a cut shot but veteran Odoyo picked up where the skipper left off, hitting a supreme cover drive and then a lofted four to wide long-on in successive overs to drag his team towards respectability.

Recalled after injury, Odoyo also sent a high six straight down the ground as Kenya collected valuable runs at the end.

Mishra was caught off a misdirected drive two balls after reaching his half-century, but Odoyo battled on until he was finally beaten by a yorker from Harvir Baidwan (2-41) and bowled off the very last delivery of the innings.

He'd reached his eighth ODI half-century in his 132nd match two balls before.